Lions face Quabbin on Thanksgiving

WEST BOYLSTON 
It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving Day without a high school football rivalry.

The playoff-bound West Boylston/Tahanto Regional High School football team will travel to Quabbin Regional, in Barre, on Thursday morning to take on the Panthers in the annual Reservoir Bowl.

Game time is 10 a.m.

It will be the 10th meeting between West Boylston/Tahanto and Quabbin Regional, which border the Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs, respectively. The Lions won last year’s game, 28-22, and lead the series, 6-3.

In addition to wanting to win the annual bowl game for bragging rights for another year, the game has big playoff implications for West Boylston/Tahanto. The Lions, the top team in the Division 5 power ratings, would like to maintain that spot heading into next Tuesday’s Central Mass. playoffs.

West Boylston/Tahanto, which is 9-1 overall, finished second to Littleton in the Midland-Wachusett League D Division with a 4-1 mark.

The Division 3 Panthers enter the Thanksgiving Day game with a 4-6 overall record and finished last in the Mid-Wach C with a 0-6 mark.

The common opponents this season for the two schools are Murdock, Maynard, South and Lunenburg. Quabbin has defeated every common opponent except Lunenburg. West Boylston/Tahanto has been victorious over all four schools.

The key Panther players are junior quarterback Dylan Kierman, who can both run and throw. Kierman has rushed for 14 touchdowns and thrown for close to 2,500 yards. His favorite receiver is junior Nick Thyden, who has racked up 939 receiving yards and eight TDs.

Lions head coach Dave Tinglof, who is 5-2 against Quabbin in his eight-year tenure, is looking forward to the game.

“Quabbin is a great team, and they have a very good passing offense,” Tinglof said. “They have some kids who have been playing for a while, and are definitely doing a good job.

“They are two divisions higher than us and play a lot of tough teams,” he said. “Their quarterback (Kierman) has some of the best stats in all of Central Mass. and has proven that he can make things happen.

“We look forward to the game,” Tinglof added. “It is always nice to win on Thanksgiving.”

West Boylston/Tahanto senior captains Tyler O’Day and Matt Loureiro have anchored both the offensive and defensive lines all season.

The offensive line, known as “The Horsemen,” has opened up big holes for the running backs in all 10 games.

The Lions are averaging nearly 35 points a game on offense, and the stingy defense has allowed just 12.3 points a contest.

O’Day wants to end the regular season on a high note.

“It is an unbelievable tradition that we’ve had the last few years with Quabbin and the Reservoir Bowl,” O’Day said. “This year is even more special with the great season we’ve been having.

“We want to send a strong message to everyone in the division that we will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs,” he said.

Senior fullback Mike Pace is the team’s leading rusher, and he’s rolled up close to 900 yards on the ground to go with 14 touchdowns. Pace, along with junior backs Ben Tasker, Devin Desautels and Alex Churchill, has carried the pigskin the most this season.

Pace is nearing the 1,000-yard rushing milestone, and has a shot at reaching or surpassing it on Thanksgiving.

“No matter what the records, Thanksgiving is always important,” Pace said. “You want to win on Thanksgiving, and build some momentum for the playoffs.”

Tasker agrees with his teammates that the Quabbin game is huge.

“Thanksgiving is always a big game,” Tasker said. “We want to go out and give it our best. There is nothing like winning that game.”

Senior quarterback Steven Gould, who has thrown for over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, will be a key factor on offense for West Boylston/Tahanto. The Lions will also be looking to junior split end and defensive back Bryan Hayes, who is second in Central Mass. in receiving with close to 800 yards and 10 TDs.